What role should the past play in our present? That is the central question of “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” a comedy opening this week at the Peterborough Players.
It concerns three siblings (Vanya, Sonia and Masha) coming to terms with the past, the present, and the future, while surrounded by Masha’s new boyfriend, Spike, and a young neighbor, Nina. Each character provides a unique perspective in discussing the past. Vanya wants it back, Sonia yearns to change it, Masha wishes it didn’t exist, Spike doesn’t care, and Nina longs for a past that didn’t include her. There is also a maid named Cassandra, but she’s more focused on voodoo than the past.
Each of these characters is brought to brilliant life by a cast of true professionals. Specific credit is due to Kraig Swartz as Vanya, which is no surprise. Swartz has a history of playing characters defined by their awkwardness, as Vanya is here. He seamlessly slips into character and takes a role that is often the voyeur and makes him integral to every relationship. The other standout is Dee Nelson as Sonia. Depression is a state that is difficult to play and harder to make funny. She vacillates between bringing the audience to hysterics and making them cry; a weaker actress would balk under the pressure, but Nelson does not disappoint.
Though Christopher Durang is given sole writing credit, the credit should be shared with Anton Chekhov, who the show is equal parts parodying and paying homage to. Like Durang, Chekhov explored both the role of the artist and the futility of life. The three siblings are even said to have been named by their parents in honor of Chekhov’s characters. Don’t worry, however, that prior knowledge of Chekhov’s work is necessary to enjoy this production. There is still plenty to laugh about, including Spike’s sexual magnetism and pectoral muscles, as well as Cassandra’s psychic speeches.
One warning: do not be put off by the show’s overindulgent exposition early on. The characters have a tendency to wax nostalgic in extreme amounts, but pay attention, as all waxing is relevant not only for the audience to learn the characters’ history but also to understand their nature. Ultimately, this production is a pleasure to attend in the way the best comedies are. It makes you laugh while simultaneously bringing you to reconsider your own life, and in this case, your past.